No wise man ever wished to be younger

Candles on my zebra-print purple cupcakes: 27
Bottles of wine consumed: None, actually. Just a pitcher of sangria. =)
Phone calls/texts/Facebook messages from wonderful old friends: too many to count

I've always loved birthdays. Especially mine, which I tend to celebrate for 3-5 days. I attribute this to the fact that my birthday always falls on the long Memorial Day weekend. And the fact that my sister K was born only a week later, and we were subjected to several joint parties. For this week, the world celebrates with us, whether it wants to or not.

This year, the world included many exotic animals, including a playful baby polar bear, and an elegant young giraffe, a couple of romping sloth bears, and some napping cheetahs. It's my birthday, and I'll go the zoo if I want to. Mama laughed when said I wanted a zoo excursion to celebrate. Apparently my tastes haven't changed much in these 27 years.

I suppose I am supposed to feel old, what with Year 30 looming ever so near. And, yes, I suppose I can think of a few things I thought I'd already have accomplished by now. But I can't help but think of my years in terms of what I have done. All the well wishes from old friends, co-workers, and classmates helped remind me of that. Nothing gets accomplished without a little bit of help, and I've been blessed with lots of helpers along the way.

Of course, there are still a few items on my To Do list. The biggest one - Vet School - is in progress. Now I just need to find the time to learn to play the violin, become fluent in French, and swim with Shamu. No worries. I've got the energy, if not the time.

So here's to another year, the years past, and the ones to come. The world is taking notice. I'm aging well.